Storage device for heavy articles



y 3, 1951 T. A. SPILLIOS 2,992,802

STORAGE DEVICE FOR HEAVY ARTICLES Original Filed July 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: THEMUS A. SPILLIOS July 18, 1961 T. A. SPlLLlOS STORAGE DEVICE FOR HEAVY ARTICLES Original Filed July 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATT'YJ United States atent 11 Claims. (Cl. 248-429) This invention relates to receptacles or storage devices for heavy articles. It is particularly well suited for use with bundles of metal rods and bars weighing several tons and will be so described for illustrative purposes. This is a division of applicants co-pending application Serial No. 367,057, filed July 9, 1953.

Metal rods and bars are normally shipped from a mill to a warehousing company in bundles held together by steel straps which may be located at the ends and middle of the bundle. Although several dozen rods or bars may be strapped together to form a single bundle, the bundle as a whole is flexible so that when it is suspended in a cable sling from a crane in the course of transferring the bundle from a delivery vehicle to a storage rack or vice versa, the ends of the bundle sag. If the bundle is not laid upon a flat surface, the bundle will again bend in accordance with its non-level supporting surface, sometimes with permanent deformation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a receptacle or storage device for a bundle of meal rods or bars, which device will adequately support the bundle in substantially straight condition.

The cable sling used to transfer a bundle from a vehicle to a storage point is generally passed under the bundle at two axially spaced points on its central region to balance it in the sling, and thus to prevent dragging one end of the bundle over the vehicle bed and receiving room floor. After the bundle is deposited at its storage point, it is necessary to free the sling, which means that the cable of the sling, and its terminal hooks, must be passed around the sides and bottom of the bundle without damaging the individual rods or bars in the bundle.

It is accordingly a more specific object of this invention to provide a storage device for a bundle of rods or bars which will provide adequate support for the bottom and sides of the bundle, but which nevertheless will not hinder the passage of the cable and hook of the sling down one side of the bundle, under and up the other side of the bundle when the sling is disengaged therefrom.

As another specific object this invention has within its purview the provision of a storage device for bundles of metal rods and bars into which the bundle may be laid through an open top of the device, but from which individual bars and rods may be removed through either end thereof.

A further specific object of this invention is the provision of a storage device for bundle of rods or bars which has stiffening rails along the bottom thereof to prevent sag of any material portion of the device, said rails serving additionally to elevate the bottom of the device from the floor to make possible handling the device from underneath with a lift truck and sliding the device over a transverse corner on a storage rack or the like.

Among the general objects of this invention is the provision of a storage device for finished bars, rods, tubes, etc., which device is readily equipped with removable relatively soft supports of wood or the like upon which the material to be stored may be laid without fear of damage to the surface thereof; which is fabricated from angle and channel iron; which provides maximum visibility of the contents thereof from all sides, and which provides maximum strength and durability with a minimum of weight.

areas? ice These and other objects of this invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a storage device made in accordance with the teachings of this invention, and showing a bundle of rods supported in a cable sling above the device and about to be lowered thereinto;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, greatly enlarged, of the storage device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view in section on the scale of FIG. 2 taken along line 33 and in the direction of the arrows in that figure;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation in section of the storage device and suspended bundle of FIG. 1, taken along line 44 and in the direction of the arrows in that figure;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the sectioned end elevation of the storage device shown in FIG. 4, with a bundle of rods lowered thereupon and showing the cable sling being removed from the bundle; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view in perspective of the storage device.

It may be appreciated that the form of the storage device shown in the accompanying drawings and described herein has been selected merely to illustrate this invention and that the scope of the invention therefore is not to be limited thereto.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4, reference is first made to the illustration of the type of article which is particularly troublesome to handle and store and hence illustrates to the best advantage the features of this invention. In these figures the articles are depicted as a bundle 10 of round steel rods 11 which have been assembled and bound together by a plurality of steel straps 12, 13 and 14 by the producer or purveyor of the rods. The bundle will normally assume a cylindrical shape since no specially shaped core is used as a base around which the rods are assembled. Such bundles 10 are customarily assembled and strapped at the place where the rods are made and are then shipped, either in open flat-bed trucks, or where protection of the rods against inclement weather is necessary, in covered vans.

From the delivery vehicle, Whatever its form, the bundles are removed at the point of delivery by some form of crane or hoist with the aid of a sling such as is shown at 15. Said sling may comprise a short length of steel cable having hooks 16 and 17 secured tothe ends thereof, the end regions 18 and 19 of the cable being passed around bundle 10 at spaced points symmetrically arranged with reference to the center of gravity of the bundle. Hooks 16 and 17 are engaged with the central portion 20 of the cable in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The crane hook '21 is passed under the central portion 20 of the cable sling, and when elevated, causes the weight of the bundle to lock the hooks 16 and 17 firmly over the region 20 of the cable.

It may be apparent that where the rods are long in proportion to their diameter, the unsupported regions of the rods will sag to a greater or lesser extent depending upon the spacing between the supports and its relation to the length of the rods. For example, given the proportions of the rods shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and a sling arranged as shown in these figures, the ends or" the bundle are unsupported and only the central one-quarter of the length of the rods has any support. The bundle therefore sags as shown when supported by a cable sling such as is illustrated and as is commonly used.

When bundles such as 10 are to be stored in a ware-.

thereof will be readily accessible without having to move other bundles to reach the one desired. To this end I have devised the storage device shown generally at 22 in FIGS. 1 and 4. Said device is comprised of a pair of spaced, substantially parallel rails 23, 24 which may most conveniently take the form of angle irons arranged in such manner that each has a vertically disposed leg 25, 26 and a horizontally disposed leg 27, 28. In the form chosen to illustrate this invention the horizontal legs 27 and 28 are shown arranged to face one another, but it is understood that the horizontal legs may face away from one another or may face in the same direction if desired. It is desirable, however, that said horizontally disposed legs 27, 28 lie in the same plane.

Rails 23 and 24 are held in spaced parallel relationship by a series of substantially identical U-shaped brace members 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33. Said brace members are shown more clearly in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6. In the form illustrated said brace members are each fabricated from three separate structural steel shapes of standard section, comprising a horizontal section 34 and vertical sections 35 and 36. The upper ends of the vertical sections of brace members 29 to 33, inclusive, are secured together by rails 37, 38 which are preferably of angle section for lateral and vertical stiffness arranged with the horizontal legs 39 and 40 resting upon the ends of the vertical sections 35, 36 and the vertical legs 41 and 42 overlying and secured to the outside surfaces 43 and 44 (FIG. 2) of the vertical sections 35, 36. Rails 37 and 38 not only give support to the upper ends of the vertical sections of the brace members 35, 36, but also provide continuous surfaces along Which obstructions may slide during the transfer of the device from one location to another.

Each brace member 29 to 33 inclusive may be comprised of channel-sectioned structural steel arranged with the flanges 45 of each vertical section 35, 36 facing toward one another and the flanges 46 of the horizontal section facing upwardly. This construction is particularly advantageous since it results in the formation of a recess 47 (FIGS. 2 and 3) into which may be placed a block 48 of wood or other material softer than the material 0f the bundle, the height of which is greater than the depth of the recess so that the upper surface 49 of the block extends above the flanges 46 of the horizontal brace member 34. Rods or other articles placed in the device therefore will rest upon a relatively soft block and hence will not be marred by contact with the hard and relatively sharp upper edges of the horizontal brace member '34. The flanges 46 serve to hold the block against horizontal movement transversely of the brace members, and the vertically extending webs 50 and 51 (FIG. 2) of the vertical sections 35 and 36 restrain the block against movement lengthwise of the said central section 34. Said block may therefore be placed into the recess 47 and will be retained therein without any securing means to hold it in place, thereby simplifying the construction and maintenance of the device.

The brace members 29 to 33 are welded or otherwise secured to the horizontally disposed legs 27, 23 of the rails 23 and 24, respectively, and are located on these horizontal legs a short distance inwardly from the outer edges thereof, the distance being at least equal to the thickness of the vertically disposed legs 41 and 42 of the upper rail members 37, 38 and preferably approximately double such thickness to make certain that the width of the device across the upper rails 37, 38 will be less than the width of the device across the lower rails 23, 24 to minimize the possibility of the device binding when it is slid longitudinally into a narrow rack or the like.

It may be apparent from the description thus far given that the storage device of this invention provides a container for a bundle of elongate members which container is open at its upper end to permit the insertion of a bundle thereinto through its top and is open at both ends to permit the withdrawal of one rod, or a group of rods, through said open ends.

It may be noted that the number and spacing of the brace members 29 to 33, inclusive, is such that one brace member 31 is located approximately equidistantly from the ends of the device. It may be noted further that the braces 30 and 32 adjacent the central brace 31 are spaced sufficiently far from the central brace 31 to avoid contact with the end regions 18 and 19 of the cable sling which pass around bundle 10. It may be noted finally that the diameter of a bundle of rods to be placed into the device of this invention is small enough so that when the cable sling is wrapped therearound, the sling and bundle may freely pass between the upper rails 37 and 38. After the bundle has been lowered upon the blocks 48, it is necessary to free the sling 20 from the bundle so that the sling may be withdrawn and used again on the next bundle.

Referring now to FIG. 5 it may be observed that when a bundle rests upon blocks 48, there is suflicient clearance between the bundle and both the lower rails 23, 24 and the upper rails 37, 38 to permit the withdrawal of the hook of the sling therearound. Furthermore, the fact that the brace members are raised off the floor or ground by the vertical. legs 25, 26 of the horizontal rails 23 and 24 results in the provision of ample space under the bundle through which to pull hook 17 as it is being drawn around and freed from bundle 10. Thus no additional supports are required to hold the bundle in a raised position while the cable is being freed therefrom, and the possibility of damage to the outer rods in the bundle by the hook, such as may occur when the bundle is placed upon the ground While the hook is being freed, is completely eliminated.

The length of the storage device hereinabove described is chosen to provide the maximum support for the rods to be stored therein. Such rods are normally made of standard lengths, that is, lengths agreed upon by the manufacturers Where the ultimate use of the rod is not presently known.

After a bundle of rods has been lowered into the storage device through the open top thereof the steel straps 12, 13 and 14 may be removed and the device may then be transported to its appointed location in the warehouse. The straps may, of course, be removed from around the bundle as readily as the sling, assuming that the straps are not located over blocks 48. Inasmuch as the horizontal sections 34 of the brace members 29 to 33, inclusive, are raised from the ground, a continuous space is provided under the device and between the vertically disposed legs 25, 26 into which a tongue (shown in dot-dash outline at 50), or equivalent member, of a lift truck may be inserted from the end of the storage device to facilitate transporting the device and raising it to any desired level within the limitations of the lift truck. Thus the vertical legs 25 and 26 of the horizontal member serve not only to provide a space through which the hook of the cable sling may be drawn under the bundle, but it also provides a space into which an appropriate carrying device may be inserted for transporting the storage device and its contents. Obviously, the space around a bundle in the storage device may be used to facilitate wrapping a sling around the bundle to remove it through the top of the device, if necessary.

Various modifications of the details of construction of the storage device will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Thus the longitudinal rails 23, 24 may have other sections such as channel, I, box, etc., the proportions of the device may vary, and the material of the members may be other than steel which is normally used for angle and channel structural forms.

The term storage device as used hereinabove is intended to cover receptacles which may be used for transporting articles as well as for storing them at a fixed location. Thus the term is intended to cover devices sometimes referred to as tote boxes and other devices used in transferring articles from one department to another in a manufacturing plant, or from one plant to another.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A receptacle for elongate articles which are adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling, said receptacle comprising a pair of spaced longitudinal frame members, spaced cross members resting upon and connecting the frame members and comprising supports for the said articles which raise the articles above the said frame members to \form a space between the articles and frame members, and article-retaining side members extending upwardly from the longitudinal frame members, the space between certain of said cross members communicating with the space between the articles and the frame members to provide a continuous space under and around the sides of said articles into which a sling may be lowered when the articles rest upon said cross members and through which the sling may be drawn when released from the articles.

2. A receptacle for elongate articles which are adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling, said receptacle comprising a pair of spaced longitudinal frame members, and spaced U-shaped cross members connected to the longitudinal frame members and having a thickness in the plane of the U which exceeds the minimum thickness of the sling, said frame members being secured to the exterior surface of each U and said articles being received between the sides of the U whereby a space is formed between the articles and frame members through which the sling may be drawn.

3. A receptacle for elongate articles adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling, said receptacle comprising a pair of spaced angle irons, one leg of each angle iron being disposed in a vertical plane and below its other leg, spacedcross members connecting the angle irons to maintain them in such spaced relation and to provide support for the articles, the upper surfaces of the cross members being removed from and above a plane passing through the lower edges of the vertically disposed angle iron legs to provide a space below the articles, vertical article-retaining members extending upwardly from the angle irons, and other rigid members connecting the top regions of the vertical retaining members, the space between certain of said cross members communicating with the space below the articles to provide a continuous space under and around the sides of said articles into which a sling may be lowered when the articles rest upon said cross members and through which the sling may be drawn when released from the articles.

4. A receptacle for elongate articles adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling, said receptacle comprising a pair of spaced longitudinally disposed angle irons, one leg of each angle iron being disposed in a vertical plane, spaced channel-sectioned cross members disposed with the web thereof abutting on the angle irons and the flanges thereof extending upwardly, a block of softer material than the material of the cross member disposed in said channel-sectioned cross members and extending upwardly beyond the said sides of the channel-sectioned members, said articles being supported on said softer material, the space between certain of said cross members communicating with the space below the frame members to provide a continuous space under and around the sides of said articles into which a sling may be lowered when the articles rest upon said cross members, and through which the sling may be drawn when released from the articles.

5. A receptacle for elongate cylindrical bundles of articles adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling passing under and along the sides of said bundle, said receptacle comprising spaced lower frame members for supporting the receptacle from the ground, spaced article-supporting cross members disposed above and connecting the lower frame members and adapted to support the articles in raised position with respect to the ground to leave a space under the articles through which said sling is adapted to pass and openended to receive a receptacle-lifting device, side members extending upwardly from the frame members and spaced from one another to provide a space adjacent the sides of the bundle through which the sling may pass, and upper frame members extending in the direction. of the lower frame members and connecting the end regions of the side members.

6. A receptacle as described in claim 5, said receptacle being made of material which is at least as hard as the material of the articles, said cross members having a channel section, with side flanges which extend upwardly to define a recess with the web of the channel section, said side members being disposed at the ends of the cross members to close the ends of the recess, and a block of softer material than that of the articles disposed in the recess and extending above the channel throughout its length to provide a softer support for the bundle than is provided by the material of the channel section support.

7. A receptacle as described in claim 5, the maximum width of the receptacle across said upper frame members being less than the maximum width across the lower frame members.

8. A receptacle as described in claim 5, said lower frame members being comprised of angle sections structural steel each having one leg thereof disposed in a vertical plane for engaging the ground, and the other leg thereof extending inwardly of the receptacle and supporting the cross members in spaced relationship to the ground.

9. A receptacle for elongate cylindrical bundles of articles adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling passing under and along the sides of said bundles, said receptacle comprising spaced lower angle section structural steel frame members for supporting the receptacle from the ground, spaced upright U-shaped channel section structural steel cross members disposed with the horizontal portion of the U disposed above and connecting the frame members in spaced relationship to the ground and with the flanges of the channel section of the U extending inwardly thereof, and spaced upper angle section structural steel frame members connecting the upper ends of the cross members.

10. A receptacle as described in claim 9, and wood blocks disposed in the horizontal portion of the U and extending thereabove throughout its length and retained between the flanges of the channel section of the U against movement transversely of the U and between the upwardly extending arms of the U against movement in the plane of the U.

11. A receptacle for rack storage of elongated articles adapted to be lowered into or raised from said receptacle by a sling, comprising elongated lower side frame members for supporting the receptacle in a rack or on the ground and spaced from each other to define an openended space to receive a receptacle-lifting device, U-shaped transverse members spaced along and mounted on said frame members, said U-shaped members being adapted to receive said articles and having a base portion secured to said frame members and a thickness in the plane of the U greater than that of a sling to provide a space between the articles and said frame members 2' through which the sling may be drawn, and elongated upper frame members secured to the upper portions of said U -sheped members, the length of the base portions of said U-shaped members being sufficiently less than the Width of the receptacle at its lower end, as defined by said lower frame members, as to make the width of the receptacle at its upper end, as defined by said upper frame members, narrower than at its lower end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dilley Sept. 24, 1872 Shaw June 30, 1956 Goetz Aug. 24, 1954 Johnson Nov. 6, 1956 Cotton Nov. 11, 1958 

